As we wrap up 2025, it’s a perfect moment for introspection. We deeply appreciate the insights we’ve gained from you—individuals and communities who have generously shared their experiences with advance care planning discussions. Throughout the year, we’ve created or contributed to various resources and materials aimed at fostering these important conversations within your personal, social, and community networks. Below, you’ll find a compilation of these valuable tools, shaped by the lessons learned from your input.
We include some of our audience favorites of 2025. What were your favorites? What would you like to see in 2026? Please share in the comments section at the end!
Most read 2025 blogs of the year: Personal stories and insights about care through end of
- Talking About Death at Duke: Why I Brought Death Cafés to My College Campus
- What Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s Story Teaches Us About Talking and Planning Ahead
- What My Clients Taught Me About Choosing the Right Health Care Proxy
- How Speech-Language Pathologists Support People to Communicate What Matters Most
- 5 Simple Phrases to Transform Conversations with Seriously Ill Patients
- Real-World Tips for Talking about Cultural and Religious Rituals and Different Perspectives Through the End of Life
- Care Through the End of Life and Catholic Traditions: Lessons from Families in Washington Heights, NYC
- How We Helped Our Daughter Make the Medical Decision That’s Right for Her
- Generational Wisdom: Why Caregiving Shapes You
Most read blogs of the year: Old favorites
- 10 Must Reads About Death and End-Of-Life Care
- 28 Podcasts About End-Of-Life Care
- 10 Fun Games to Help You Talk About End-of-Life Care
- 12 Additional Must Read Books About Death and End-of-Life Care
- Ten Best Quotes From Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
- With Dementia, More is Needed than a Boilerplate Advance Directive
- Giving Thanks for My Father’s Death
New or updated resource compilations in 2025
- Kickstart a Conversation: Connecting Through Content
- Storing and Sharing your Documented Health Care Wishes: Frequently Asked Questions
- 10 Themes to Spark Meaningful Conversations: A Curated Guide from The Conversation Project
- International “What Matters to You?” Day 2025
- How to Get Involved in National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025: 15 Ideas to Inspire
New and updated TCP resources in 2025
Updated:
- What Matters to Me – A Workbook for Better Health – updated by Ardiane Labs and The Conversation Project; details on updates (what and why) can be found in this blog: Moving Away from Serious Illness, and Toward Better Health Care
- My Health Checklist – A Guide to help you prepare for your medical appointments in English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese (new)
New:
- My Health Checklist audio version
- Guidance materials to help introduce My Health Checklist
Guidance, stories, and tools for providers:
- How to Introduce My Health Checklist to Staff
- How to Introduce My Health Checklist to Older Adults
- My Health Checklist FAQ and Why This Matters
- How to Get Started with My Health Checklist Slides(includes a sample presentation that you can adapt)
For a quick introduction:
- Tips for Providers: Getting Started with My Health Checklist(brief handout)
- Tips for Individuals: Getting Started with My Health Checklist(brief handout)
New TCP-specific podcasts and sampling of articles featuring TCP content in 2025
Articles/blogs:
- One Conversation Every Family Should Have This Thanksgiving via Forbes
- How to Protect Your Finances as You Age via Charles Schwab
- Playdates With Death: Spirited Chats on End-of-Life Planning via ElderLawAnswers
- How to talk to your loved ones about end of life wishes via Those Nerdy Girls
- How do you want to live your life, now and through the end? article from The Conversation Project via VA News
- End-of-life planning can be hampered by misconceptions − but the process is easier than you might think via The Conversation
- Who will Speak for You? via Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing
- Many People Have Problems Facing Death: Hot to Get Through It via LA Progressive
- Practical Tips to Make the Most of National Healthcare Decisions Day blog by The Conversation Project shared via CaringInfo.org
- National Healthcare Decisions Day – Honoring Wishes by Marisette Hasan via C-TAC
- National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025: Planning Today for a Healthier Tomorrow via One World News
- Ahead of National Healthcare Decisions Day, Aging and Hospice Expert Urges Americans to Commit to Vital Advance Care and End-of-Life Conversations via PRNewswire
- The Power of Estate Planning With MS via National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Supporting Seniors with Compassion: Building Your Caregiving Village via University of Virginia Employee Assistance Plan
- End-of-Life Planning: A Tough but Important Conversation via Arlington VA Magazine
Podcasts:
- The Talk We’re All Avoiding — And Why We Need to Have It featuring Kate DeBartolo of The Conversation Project via Seniority Authority
- The Logistics of Death with special guests Kate DeBartolo of The Conversation Project and Becky Robison creator of “My Parents Are Dead: What Now?” via All of It
- What Really Matters: Kate DeBartolo on Turning Tough Conversations Into Connection via Buried in Work
- Conversation and Validation with Patty Webster sharing how personal caregiving experience fuels passion for The Conversation Project via Happy Health Caregiver
- Today Is the Best Day to Make Your End Of Life Plan – NHDD 2025 featuring clips from favorite guests including The Conversation Project, highlighting wisdom and thoughts about advance care planning for the end of life via The Heart of Hospice
- How To Manage Seagulls in End of Life Caregiving featuring Patty Webster of The Conversation Project via The Heart of Hospice.
Popular recordings and community calls in 2025
- Messaging That Matters: Shaping Health Tools with Purpose and Clarity recording, & slides
- National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) 2025: call recording & slides
- Getting started with The Conversation Project (TCP): Orientation to TCP resources and common questions: 30-minute recorded session
- Community planning 101: 35-minute recorded session
- Speaker training: 45-minute recorded session
Want to keep connected to The Conversation Project for more ideas from other communities? Sign-up for our community engagement newsletter, follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram), and feel free to reach us at ConversationProject@ihi.org